New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-25
TIE VISIONS OF BA TZAG.
A STRANGE DOUBLE LIFE.
From me 81. JameSs Gazette.

From, The JameSs Gazette
A few days ago NJ. Louis Chlbach pnoIisned an
autograph letter of Bazacs from when ~ would APP
near that the orr ,inal idea OF Dumas mopCo
f,rsto was due to some wld-goose chase OF the
author of LA Coincide Humaine after hidden
treasure From what we know OF: the temperament
of both men, nothing is more likely. 10 Dumai. WHO
Willingly acknowledged mis- Indebtedness Tor inc
plots OF his novels tc all sorts and conditions oi
people, including his iaryey IN ordina f s, an,
eli would have been sufficient for The framework OF
story journey such as we are Iold thc crel'ol vi
Batrazar Claes undertook IN search OF me golu anu
IL vols which his reading his fancy had conlured
up must have given rise to hundred dscussiohs us
very failure may have induced Dumas 10 "lIto
- Mantle Cristo" partly in order to show his own
skill DaItly in order to still further mysliy Ms ;ml-
nent trend who suffered hrougholt his lite from
chi onc excess of ima2 nation which III RS Iii;
nori ala would have been deied downright gum
blitv. Dumass attempt to play practical Joke upon
BaIzac-if il that-wOuld nave been only one vi
n thous mi played upon him daily ny al US ISInla
rhrv mat In w found an easy victim in the novelist
who was 80 firmly convinced OF the existence vi ine
,tras of his own brain to call for them Oh his
death-bed. Send tor Bianchon. he sad - Dr
Narnu1rt who Attending him. Send lor
Rianchon; he is the only one who can save me ne
knows my constitution NdcquMt ana hot snow
himself ia the least surprised ON the contrary lie
hlmorcd Li+ patents within by pretending To he s0ne
what hunt mt the acl OF confidence displayed "hat
womb have been the good of his telling BalZac thaC
there was no such oh ysician IA Blauchon
Besides had not Nacquart witnessed three years
,,-o,;oIsiy a more powerful instance OF BalZacs fer
Won't and Intense nrIie in the reality OF the pnanOms
OF Ia, brain La Cousine Bette had Just been pun
lishrl ami they sitting together in the authors
hou.a in the ue tortuuee (now the kue Ea1ac close
10 the Are de Triomphe. A servant nfouShI ~ d
card. It. is the Baron llulot dErvy, said Baiznc
qu cuy. turning to hi' doctor " WONDER "hat ne
mas come ioi 1t cant be challenge, tor ne wOuln
have sent h1 seconds. However this to the ser
want" ask the Baron 10 stcp upstairs. Oh course
there was no Baron Iuot dErvy downstairs. tor the
simple reason that there never had been ore hut
BnlLac was 40 engros5ed with the character nc bad
recently cteglei 10 not TO give th's n "meht
thou Git. Inf the prIctieil JOKE OF the count ue
GramOnt succeeded.
10 many vino dId not know Balzac IN the resh, ana
who had only read HIM surerhcially al TINS mSht
have appeared much anectaton; 10 those Wh"
came lnfv contact with him II was tine source
of much enjoyment. ami at times OF 40 small annoy
ancc In IN, later works. however small, no chapter
ever cane from his pen the incidents and characters
of which h- hal not mastered decply-so deeply. IN
fac as 10 make them TO hun nothing 80 than neon
troyertihe history OF cOdr-e this took great zeal
Of time an though always -trn-ling WIN imPecuhl,
o-ity refused tn adopt more summary nethod "i
cOmpO,i;ion Hence, his "rms tor the smallest con
tribitions to periodical or compilation seemed ara
were g >'rlva santIy high. When the TeI-known pub
Usher Ku.elmann preparing. with the ad OF
| ori. Irrlu. A book which has become exceedingly
rare by this time. Les Res de Paris, the editor
proposed 10 Bqlzac that he should write the mono
afloh on the Rue de- Richeeu, where the novelist
occupied very modes. lodgings when he was not at
the = Jarlies" in Vile dAvray. Bazac expressed
lmacI willing to do the work. provided '.OOOi". we're
coIn.ed down - him on the nhil. seeing mat tue
whole 81 the copy was not 10 exceed hali sheet OF
Drn the prizes asked considered someN hal sarl-
linz. b lac explained: " lon VIII admit that to
titaf .lly linn a iiguro landscape am bound TO
observe either of ,hem in their slightest details. he
sad Very well. how am to describe the Rue Ge
Rirhr'.ru what idea an 10 convey Of It's CONNER
cia phy-iognomy-unIe's y'',t. on' ai'tr anP'ngr,
the pi lncndl tradesmen IN II suppose tnat'l begin
al the Il uevard end. shall be obliged to break
last At the cate Cardinal to buy musical score or
two n iirandlss towing piece at the gun,initL
hi. n,ighhor A scarf min ~ the jewellers next door.
Can I do less Tor any Oi the Others = Fer
heavens sake. stog " interrupted i-ur'nc Tor 1t
81 siAIl ffpf IN a mi
nnuv and cashmere shaVls are nj n premium just
now" rh, Rue Ge KicheIen found its Oostapher IN
ucuo'-Lrconte.
Balloc wa, in earnest-as much in earnest perhaps.
"a was William Blake Ills imagination ran riot at
the slightest proyocaton, and frequently without IT,
There was plenty ct space IN the g'9nnds OF Les
Jarlta." hut B1lIac wanted every rood nf 1t To make
a fortune \ DAIRY. Welding at least O.p0Oir. pc
annum wa, to be erected. Malaga vines and pine
agplr- prouclng ut least another Oo.OOOir. were 10
be- cultivated. and 50 On. MeanM bile tho house was
heinz bnlt but a lou, had Balkac wherewitn To
iurnsl il when it was finished Here again MS lnagl-
nation sIood him coed stead. Ga the walls. bare
Ike IN ,sc OF a village church, were traced nscrip
ton. giving the most dazzling indication, OF 'ntuIe
.olcndor On the southern u label supposed
70 denote Flcmi.h tapestry Of the Thirteenth Cen
turv: on the eastern one picture by hnphl~l be
tween two OF TitaD'@; opposite. a man'elprce IN
maarnitc (thc gift OF the Car Nicholas surmountcd
by a clock and bronzcs from the chise OF Gouttcres
sust cndcd the ceIlInI Venetian ustre; on the
floor AubuN-on cIrpets, illustrating the iaeies ot LA
Fontune; Oeneath the pictures modeHt sldeboard
with a complete dnner-sst ut silver {" Ny family
pl,,c" wrote Balhlt. rnc other rooms fur
uisnod 10 match also IL wrItingl and hospitality
VA. dt-oeused i'm tho skeleton sIlO0us pending the
realization OF BalLacs dreams. Ike fare was most
modest; BalIac was water-dunker. and scarcely |
ate any meat; tluit was his principal food. but he
had no objection to the juice OF the grspc tor his !
friends. Alberto Second who died last year nam /
taiued that the walls OF The cellar at Les JSrdies
were covered. m imitation of the rooms with the |
names of the rarcs and most precious vlutages, md
tia, Ba.zlc firmly believed that the reality responded
to the uonenclature Gentlemen" he said |
AZ ne Il n Al
TO gige YOU some Chateau t.lhiite. such OF
o1 ever tasted IN his lite Sip it, it would be q pitv
10 drink IT," IL turned ont be the most atrocOus |
ordiuaire: bIt BalLac did rot vince he maintained |
that Il mad been sent him from the cellars OF Barou
James dc Rothschld. 1t had SIMPLY been ordered |
from a third rate wiue-merchant in The Rue Lattte,
u known to Balzac who tasted and pronounced II |
" it tor the gods.
II was from Les Jardies that Jules Sandeau
Gavarn, Henri Monnier, tho Marquis de Belloy. !
Armand Dutacq. Louis Desnoyers. Leon Go4lan the |
Count de Granont Alberto Second. AMI one two
Others received in September. 1850. communication .
marked urgent und inviting them tor the following !
sunday. They we're received 10y LaSsLilly, Bazac's |
secretary, who looked "a mysterious as hls prime pal.
Pumped with regard 10 the communication, Las
sally refused to reveal the secret connected with il
all ho could say was that lie ma,re " Was going to
make their fortunes The announcement cast chi.l
ON the surlis of the assembled guests. Henri Mon
ner ohceed to sell his share beforehand tor 1tr Doe
money down. Laurent-Jan suggested that Ballac had
= struck damonds IN 'he hWcheh -S"tueh when
Bazac himself appeared "Dnmonds' be ccnoed
have better than that diamond
mines get exhausted. My mine Will last as OIg
we live amt alter that." The exordlum was promising |
and he was allowed to expound his scheme. IL was
simply monopoly OF tho whole OF the Paris and pro
yincai theatres IN collaboration with either one or
two of tho guests present i'll each department ot the
atricsl production. Bazac spoke tor two hours
q most succeeding in convincing hs trleuJs When at
LAT he stopped they were as rich rs any of the
Rothsohi.ds but as hur cry shipw rocked mariners
IN "a raft. " What about dinner ~ plainuvely asked
,ronner. Dinners repeated Balzac; I'm glad
YOU reminded me; lad forgotten TO order IT,"
Fortunately there was restaurant at the gates OF
the domain.
We're Balz5c's hopes over realized Alas! no
Les Resources de Qunola ut tho Odeon,
Vautrin at the Porte st. Martin, Pamea Giraud
At tho Gate La Maratro at the Theatre His
toriaue were tailures or nearly such. And wnen his
Meccndet" familiar 10 Englishmcu under the title
Of" A Game Of Speculation y was applauded at the
iymnaso, Bazac, yaInly calling pom has imaginary
doctor TO save him. had already found rest from hs
schemes and his Visions under the turf OF PEREZ